Towel-holder



W. F. ROCKWELL.

TOWEL HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED'DEC.23, [9!8.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER F. ROCKWELL, OF RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO HARVEY G. WHEELER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOWEL-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application filed December 23, 1918. Serial No. 267,928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER F. RooK- WELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Randolph, in the county of Norfolk andCommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Towel-Holders, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact specification.

The purpose of this invention is the effecting of improved means wherebya number of towels can be transported, stored and individually used, andyet be all the time attached one to the other so that they may not bedisconnected except when they are to be laundried. In accomplishing thisI string the towels upon a chain or other suitable flexible connectingdevice fastened together at its ends after the towels have been putthereon, the length of the chain being suflicient to permit any towel tobe easily withdrawn from the others and conveniently used. For furtherconvenience I provide a case or other device for supporting the unusedtowels and also for receiving the used ones without disconnecting themfrom the chain.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a faceview of a case or cabinet embodying (my improvements. Fig. 2 is asectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a sectional plan viewclose to the top of the case. Fig. 4 is a diagram in perspective showinga few towels strung upon a chain.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the backof a case designed to hold the bunch of towels; 2 the sides thereof, 3the top, 4 an inclined shelf intermediate of the top 3 and the bottom6'; 5 being narrow doors partially inclosing the space above the shelf,and 7 being a front partially inclosing the section below the shelf.

While I do not restrict myself to the doors 5 for partially inclosingthe upper section of the case, it is desirable to have the doorssuitably hinged and provided with looking devices, in order to retainthe towels within when the doors are closed, and to permit theconvenient introduction of the fresh supply of towels. The doors shouldbe narrow in order to leave the central parts of the towels free to begrasped and the front one removed from the others. The spring catches 10shown in Fig. 2 serve to lock the doors in their closed position, andyet are convenient of access for unfastening the doors.

The towels 11 are each formed with a suitable eye 12, preferablyreinforced, through which the chain or other vinculum 13 is to bepassed; after a suitable number of towels have thus been strung upon thechain, the ends of the chain being preferably fastened together in anysuitable manner, as by an easily separable link 14, or by a spring catch14*. This insures against the towels becoming separated either intransportation or in use, but especially the latter.

At the center of the under surface of the top 3 is secured a hook 15, asshown in Fig. 2, upon which the chain should be hung, the towels restingupon the inclined shelf and against the doors, while the excess of chaindescends through a slot 16 in the front edge of the shelf into the spacebehind the front 7 A latch 17 swung down in front of the slot closes thelatter against the too easy pulling of the chain forward out of the slotwhen a towel is withdrawn for use.

As shown in Fig. 2, the shelf 4 is hinged at its rear edge 19 to theback 1 so that it can be swung upward to permit an easier removal of thesoiled towels from below it, suitable cleats 21 being provided for itssupport.

The object of the downward inclination of the shelf 4 is to aid inpressing the towels forward against the doors 5, both to better supportthem and to present them where they can be more readily reached, so thata person wishing to use one thereof can easily take hold of the frontone and pull it away from the others and downward along the chain.

After being used, each towel is dropped into the receptacle 2O behindthe front 7, sliding along the chain to the termination of the lattersbend. By having the chain of a length to support the soiled towels outof contact with the bottom 6, the chain is held taut and by its pull onthe unused towels aids in drawing them more snugly against the doors.

After the towels have been used and a fresh supply is desired, the doors5 are um fastened, the chain 13 is released from the hook 15, the shelf4L is swung upward, and the entire bunch of soiled towels and the chainbinding them together are bodily removed from the receptacle 20, andcarried to the laundry. Here the chain is withdrawn from the towels, thelink 1 1 being cut or the snap catch 14: released in accordance withwhich it is employed, for permitting such Withdrawal, and the same arethen laundried.

At the time the used towels are removed, a fresh bunch previously strungon its chain is stood upon the shelf 4, with the chain caught upon thehook 15 and also depending through the slot 16 into the receptacle 20,and the doors 5 are closed and fastened.

Thus disposed, it is evident that the towels will not get lost, none candrop to .1 the floor to become trodden on and unduly soiled, none can beused for wiping off desks or washing windows, and at the same time theyare convenient in use and handily transported and replaced.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

to opposite sides thereof but spaced apart, a

a shelf for supporting a bunch of towels behind the doors, a hook spacedabove the shelf, the shelf having a closable slot in its front edge, anda chain passing through said towels and slot, the chain having its endsI fastened together and supported by said hook and hanging from saidslot beneath the shelf.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto setmy hand this 19th day of December, 1918.

WALTER F. ROCKWELL.

Washington, D. G.

